Capcom Rethinks SSF IV: Arcade Edition DRM

When Capcom announced the tweaks for the PC version of Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition, the company thought players would be overjoyed. Instead, they focused on one glaring problem: a DRM scheme that would cripple offline play. Capcom has heard the complaints, and is changing the game to appease the masses.

In a blog post bluntly titled "SSFIV: AE PC – DRM: We Had it Wrong" on Capcom Unity, senior VP Christian Svensson says the company realized its mistake and will release a patch shortly after the game releases to undo the implemented DRM. Specifically, the patch will allow players to use the full roster of characters offline: Without the patch, users will be limited to using 15 of the 39 fighters.

Svensson states that the decision to ditch the DRM was an easy one. "The argument that legitimate users would have a worse experience than pirates was the loudest and most convincing. We certainly don’t want that to be the case and that was never our intention."

It's good to see Capcom putting user experience above anti-piracy measures -- hopefully gamers will show their support in return by buying the game.